Climate change: Which party can we trust?

Published:12:32Thursday 06 March 2014

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So Labour leader Ed Miliband has finally spoken out strongly on climate change, calling it ‘an issue of national security’.

He has been Labour leader for more than three years. Before that he was Energy and Climate Change Secretary, so he understood the issues. Why has he waited so long before taking the lead on this? Could there be an issue of resistance in his party? Or is it because other Labour policies conflict with the action which needs to be taken?

Scientists and the Green movement have been sounding warnings about climate change for over 30 years. If proper action had been taken then, we might not be in such a mess now.

David Cameron said he would lead the ‘greenest government ever, yet they have slashed spending on insulation and flood defences, they are supporting fracking (another source of warming gases) and in the European Parliament they failed to support a positive report for EU climate targets.

Climate change is an issue of security for all of us, but who can you trust to tackle it robustly? Labour and the Conservatives, who both failed to tackle it properly while in office, instead encouraging deregulation, competition and growth involving ever more use of resources? Or the Green Party, who really understand what is involved and have a coherent set of policies for a safer, happier life for everyone?